


To Be a Hero

by tristonanan



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Living Together, Post-Episode: e049 Old Oak Doors, Post-Episode: e049 Old Oak Doors Part B
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 09:05:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1893294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tristonanan/pseuds/tristonanan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On their first night back to town Maureen and Dana have a short heart-to-heart concerning mayors, Faceless Old Women, and the term “hero.” (Contains spoilers for episode 49: Old Oak Doors, parts A&B.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Be a Hero

**Author's Note:**

> I know we haven't heard them actually interacting, but we haven't heard of either of them dying and they both were in the desert at the same, so that's a start!

Dana made sure her spare key was under the doormat for Maureen to use their first night back in Night Vale. When Maureen arrived, Dana was already in her pajamas and reading a book on her bed. No, not a book, a pamphlet. A  _mayoral_ pamphlet.

"I feel a bit scandalous to be sleeping with the mayor."

Dana jumped, dropping her pamphlet with a yelp. “Oh, Maureen, you startled me!” she said, her eyes betraying the pissed off look she was trying to give. But the rest of her face soon matched her eyes, soft and full of happiness. Even in the desert they were stuck in, Maureen was able to count on Dana being overly positive. “How was your first day home?”

Maureen groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Let me get a drink first. Do you have anything on hand?”

Dana shook her head. “The Faceless Old Woman is upset that I was elected to be mayor, and she drank every last drop of alcohol in my house. Plus she rearranged half the furniture,” she sighed. “I’m sorry, Maureen.”

The news caused another, angrier, groan from Maureen. “That old bitch. What, a girl can’t even drown her problems away with some booze?” She was glaring all around, as if she were hoping to find where the Faceless Old Woman was hiding and have a stare-off into where her eyes would be if she had a face. Dana couldn’t help but be slightly amused. Her soft laughter caused Maureen to look her direction. “What?”

"I’m sorry for laughing. I know it must have been a hard first day back, but don’t take it out on the Faceless Old Woman."

Maureen crossed her arms and huffed. “I don’t see why I shouldn’t.”

Dana rolled her eyes and stared at Maureen. “She worked very hard on her campaign for about a year, and I think she’s entitled to feel rotten when _her work is ignored by people should looked up to_ ,” Dana could see Maureen stiffen. “I know  _I_ would feel bad if I worked hard on something for about a year, and when I presented it, it was all for naught. Wouldn’t  _you_ feel that way, Maureen? Especially if you were humiliated on community radio? If people were, oh I don’t know, telling you that you are wrong when all you are trying to do is help the town? How would you feel?”

Dana wasn’t looking at Maureen anymore. She should tell she was losing her cool, but in all honesty she didn’t give a damn. Memories of those moments in the booth filled her head, causing anger and shame to fill her mind.

"Hey," a far away voice said, "Dana, it’s okay. Listen to me." A hand then touched Dana’s arm, and she realized the voice was not far away at all. She was just not used to the owner speaking in such gentle tones. "I’m sorry for getting upset. I’ll admit that I wasn’t thinking. It didn’t occur to me how stressful today must have been for you."

Maureen sat down on the bed and wrapped her arms around Dana, who was shaking slightly. Her arms were warm, almost like she was a blanket Dana had taken right out of the dryer to snuggle into.

"Dana, you helped save the town. You brought two unlikely armies together," Maureen reassured. "You’re a hero." She kissed Dana on the top of her head. "You’re  _my_ hero.”

Dana sighed from somewhere deep inside her. She couldn’t help the memories still coming back. It was almost funny, the desert was awful and she was often alone, but those memories weren’t haunting her like how they had been for the past year. Perhaps this was because while she was trapped in the desert there weren’t many people for her to embarrass herself in front of. Now there were.

"I’m not a hero, Maureen, nor am I a scientist," she tried to say the last part with a bit of humor, but the thought of Carlos still in the other world made it come out as bitter. "According to Tamika the word has no meaning."

"Bullshit."

Dana blinked. “Excuse me?”

Maureen sneered. “Tamika may have a very advanced mind, but what she said was bullshit.” Dana tried to protest, but Maureen wouldn’t let her. “Listen to me, alright? Before Tamika was arrested Cecil would call her a hero, up until the very end. She was called a hero everyday by her army of middle school and high school students, too. She didn’t protest, from what I had seen. She was a hero and she knew it. According to some new intern, I don’t remember their name, she didn’t protest it until she got arrested. Sure, Tamika wasn’t looking to be called a hero, but neither were you.

"That’s what makes you a hero. Cecil always knew you were important, in private he would talk about your bravery and selflessness. Cecil and I may not always see eye-to-eye, but he’s right about many things. I know he was right about that. Do you think that your heroics may have been one of the reasons you were elected as mayor?"

A crash was heard from the other end of the house, swearing soon followed.

Dana looked at Maureen and smiled. She hadn’t realized until that moment that she was crying. “You know you talk too much?” They both laughed, foreheads leaning together. “Thank you.”

"You’re welcome," Maureen murmured, wiping Dana’s tears away with her calloused hands. "I love you."

Dana held her own hands to Maureen’s face in a similar fashion as Maureen’s. “I love you, too.”

The two young women kissed, and for that moment nothing else seemed to matter.

"Now," Dana said after the kiss, "tell me all about your first say back as an intern."

Maureen rubbed her face before - reluctantly - telling Dana about the events after she walked through the old oak door. The two of them were holding hands while Maureen talked.

 _Maybe,_ Dana thought,  _everything is alright after all._

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that I love Tamika Flynn, but that line was kinda bullshit, especially since Tamika is obviously a hero. Plus, in stories there is always a hero of sorts, even in realistic fiction. As a fellow reader I can't fathom how she can't view heroes as a thing. Plus, it was obvious that Dana looks up to the thirteen year old. Do you know how it feels with someone you look up to says that you're wrong, makes you feel inferior, and doesn't treat you well? It sticks with you. While Tamika is one of my favorite characters, I couldn't deal with how embarrassed, hurt, and pissed Dana sounded when she left.
> 
> Please tell me how you liked the story. If you want to tell me what I did well (or what I can improve on) please leave a review. If you liked it, please also give a kudos.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope to write more about these two soon.


End file.
